April 10, 2020

Dear Watertown Parents and Guardians:

We know many of you have been interested in what grading will look like during this extended emergency school closure and
in this new version of schooling your children are undertaking. Here is an update about grading for Marking Periods 3 and 4:

For Grades K-4:

Marking Period 3 will end on April 27, 2020. Students will receive a grade for effort, the scale of which is:
O - Outstanding, S - Satisfactory, I - Inconsistent, N - Needs Improvement. Grades will be reported by May 7, 2020.
Actual individual learning standards and learner behaviors will not be assessed for this time period.
Marking Period 4 will begin on April 28, 2020. ​Given the unique circumstances of virtual instruction and COVID-19, and not
knowing when the extended school closure will end, students will receive only effort grades for Marking Period 4 as well.

For Grades 5-12:

Marking Period 3 will end on April 27, 2020. Students will receive a grade of Pass/Fail for each course, reflecting five
weeks of in-class instruction and the instruction via distance learning through April 27.​ ​Marking Period 4 will begin
on April 28, 2020. ​With the same regard to students at grades K-4 and the unique circumstances of learning that this period
of extended closure presents and not knowing when the closure will end, students will receive Pass/Fail grades for Marking
Period 4, too, regardless of the date of return for students. Attached to this letter is a flow chart of how pass/fail
determinations will be made for each student in each class.

With regard to course credit, students will be awarded credit on the basis of the overall course average from marking periods
1 and 2. Semester two courses will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis only. Students who would have failed the course on this
basis will have the opportunity to pass the course if they put forth effort and show progress during what would ultimately be
the Quarters 3 and 4 Pass/Fail marks, the same as if numerical grades were assigned for these quarters. However, GPAs will
only be calculated based on marking period 1 and 2 grades for the 2019-2020 school year. There will be no final exams this
year, inclusive of in-class examinations and Regents exams.

We encourage all students to participate in the assignments and learning tasks provided by their teachers. Connecting with
teachers in Google Classroom, via Zoom, or other technology will also demonstrate student efforts. Additionally, completing
tasks and any previously assigned work that may have been incomplete prior to this period of closure can help show student
progress.

Our goal is to ensure that, whenever students return to school, they are both successful and comfortable in the environment.
The focus at this time should not be on numerical grades, but on providing feedback to all students and being thoughtful in the
approach we take to awarding credits and moving students forward. The State has issued guidance that is very favorable to
students who are living and learning in these uncertain circumstances, and we feel it is important that our overall grading
approach takes the same stance.

We appreciate your support as we work to create an equitable environment for all of our students.

Sincerely,

Patricia B. LaBarr Stacey J. Eger Tina M. Lane

Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent
for Instruction for Personnel & Student Services
Quarter 3 Grading for 5-12
Was the student passing
at the Q3 5-week
Progress Report?

YES NO

Has the student shown Has the student shown

*evidence of effort to *evidence of effort to
complete complete
assignments/tasks during assignments/tasks during
**crisis instruction? **crisis instruction?

YES NO YES NO

PASS Are you confident in the PASS FAIL

student’s skills and
knowledge to award
course credit at this time? **Crisis instruction
Are there ***extenuating includes virtual
circumstances to instruction activities led
*Evidence of consider? by teaching staff during
Effort includes
the current COVID-19
completed make
pandemic.
up or back work,
focus on YES NO
connecting and ***Extenuating
doing current Circumstances include
work, etc. PASS FAIL COVID-19 impact,
work/unemployment,
childcare, etc.
4/8/2020